Tasting the wines of Dougos Winery (Larissa, Greece) with Yiannis Karakasis MW and Thanos Dougos at Ammos (NYC)

I have visited, and written about, a fair number of North Greece wineries so when Yiannis Karakasis MW invited me to join him at a Dougos Winery wine-tasting dinner in New York City, I jumped at the opportunity to support him, as well as to add to my knowledge base of the region and its wines.

The dinner was held on Monday night of this week at Ammos, a Greek restaurant located at 52 Vanderbilt Avenue in New York City. The restaurant has a cozy bar oppsite the entrance, a main dining area to the left of the bar, and a small banquet/meeting room one level up. The banquet room has a U-shaped seating configuration and a large-screen TV to support video presentations if required. The dinner was held in this room.

I arrived a little early so I sat at the bar and renewed my acquaintance with the Wine Art Estate Malagouisa. Yiannis arrived a little while later and we had a joyous reunion. At this time he introduced me to Thanos, the owner of Dougos Winery.

After a while we were summoned upstairs for the dinner and tasting. Before I describe the event, some background on the region and the winery.

The Region
The wines featured in the tasting are primarily associated with the Rapsani PDO appellation. Rapsani is a protected designation of origin (PDO) in the Greek appellation schema. Its physical and legal characteristics are elaborated in the chart below.

The vineyards proper are located on the southern slopes of Mount Olympus and its "mainland mediterranean" climate is modified by the surrounding mountains and forests as well as by the Thermaic Gulf of the Aegean Sea. One of the heralded aspects of the environment is the 10 - 15 ℃ temperature variation between day and night, a condition which, it is held, "enhances phenolic ripeness and aromatic concentration of the grapes."

The Estate
Dougos Winery was founded in 1991 and is currently managed by Thanos (agriculturalist) and Louiza (chemist and oenologist) Dougos. It is located in the Tempi Valley at the foot of Mt Olympus while its 30 ha of vineyards are situated in Prosilia and Tourtoura (on the mountain's northeast slope) at elevations ranging between 550 and 700m. The vineyard soils are a iron-rich sand-clay mix over a schist subsoil.

The vineyards are farmed organically and sports yields of between 5 and 8 tons/ha from a mix of Greek (Xinomavro, Krasato, Stavroto, Limniona, Roditis, Assyrtiko) and international (Syrah, Grenache rouge, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc) varieties.

The Tasting

We were called to order and Yiannis and Thanos introduced to the group (They began smiling shortly after the picture below was snapped).

Yiannis Karakasis MW and Thanos Dougos

After a short video on the winery, and prior to the first dishes being brought out, Yiannis conducted a Masterclass on some old Dougos vintages.

The first wine tasted was the Rapsani PDO 2014. This wine is a blend of Xinomavro (40%), Krasato (40%), and Stavroto (20%). The grapes are fermented in stainless steel tanks and then transferred to barrels for malolactic fermentation and aging. The wine is aged for 12 months in French and American oak and an additional 12 months in bottle.

The wine showed tomato, red fruit, spices, meat, and leather. Red fruit on the palate. Late-arriving tannins. According to Yiannis, the wine can be drunk early but is best after 3 years. He mentioned that this had been a challenging vintage with unripe tannins. He referred to it as "a classic vintage."

Next up was the 2010 Rapsani PDO Old Vines, a mix of 65% Xinomavro, 25% Krasato, and 10% Stavroto. The vines here are 65 years old. Fermentation same as for the Rapsani PDO but aging is 16 months in 25% new French oak. Bottle aging for 1 year. Yiannins identified this as a ripe vintage. Black fruit, leather, and baking spices on the nose. Lean and complete on the palate. Ripe tannins. Understated power.

The 2011 Rapsani PDO Old Vines showed tomato paste, tomato leaf, leather, and earth on the nose. Fully developed. Licorice, dark fruit, tomato, and iron on the palate.

The 2012 Old Vines exhibited complexity on the nose: brown shoe polish, spice, licorice, and baking spices. Granny's attic on nose and palate. Lengthy finish.

The wine of the night was the 2008 Meth'Imon Opsimo. This is a blend of equal parts Limniona, Syrah, and Grenache rouge. This wine was advertised as being made in an Amarone style. But it was much more balanced with no overt sweetness or alcohol. Complex. Salinity and savoriness on both the nose and palate. Lengthy finish. A pleasure to drink.

At the conclusion of the Masterclass the dinner service began. The meal reminded me of my trip through North Greece where I was always told that we would be having a light lunch, or  pre-lunch, and I would come away feeling as though I had eaten a dinosaur. The food was excellent but it was too much. We had what I considered as three appetizers and two main courses plus dessert. I quit halfway through the first of the main courses. By the way, I normally eat at Milos whenever I am in NYC; going forward Ammos is going to get a lot of my time. High-quality food and service.

Crispy zucchini fritters, graviera and feta cheese,
mint evoo, tzatziki

Crispy calamari with lemon caper aioli

Maryland lump crab cake with lemon caper aioli

Slowly cooked lamb shank in a homemade tomato
sauce over Greek orzo casserole

Grilled rack of lamb over traditional Greek
gigandes

Wonderful tasting. Yiannis and Thanos deserve combat pay for managing through a couple of attendees who wanted to evaluate each wine (loudly) on its by-the-glass potential.


©Wine -- Mise en abyme

Xinomavro: Variety, growing regions, and wines

During my recent visit to the Kir-Yianni winery in Naoussa, Stelios Boutaris described Xinomavro as a difficult grape to grow and very unique in that "it is susceptible to every pest and disease that comes along." In the Wine Commanders presentation (Xinomavro on Fire) at the 2015 edition of the Digital Wine Communications Conference, Yiannis Karakasis MW referred to the variety as "a diva." Yet they are both effusive in the praise of the wines made from this grape.

What is it about this variety that engenders this "disdain" among the greatest proponents of its wines? In this post I will explore the internals of the variety, its growing regions, and the product of this union. The Naoussa and Amynteo portions of the post draws heavily on the work of Dr. Stefanos Koundouras of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Perspectives on Xinomavro: Greece's Noblest Varietal, alpha-estate.com. Use permission granted by Angelos Iatrides of Alpha Estate.).

The Variety
Greece has over 69,000 ha of land devoted to the growth of its 300 indigenous varieties, the fourth most planted (2,389 ha) of which is Xinomavro, the noble red variety from North Greece which is the basis of the PDO wines from Naoussa, Amyndeon, and Goumenissa and a key component of the PDO wine from Rapsani. The key characteristics of the variety are provided in the figure below.

Growing Regions

The PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) designation describes the highest quality level in the European wine classification schema and Xinomavro wines made from grapes grown in the Naoussa, Amyndeon, Goumenissa, and Rapsani areas -- and meeting other relevant statutory requirements --can use this indication on the labels.

Naoussa
The Naoussa PDO covers between 500 and 600 ha of mostly east-facing slopes at altitudes ranging between 106.68 m (350 feet) and 457.2 m (1500 feet) at the foot of Mt Vermion in Central Macedonia (Between 100 and 120 ha of the planted vines are devoted to the growth of non-Xinomavro varieties.).

Naoussa PDO showing key crus. Used with permission.

The climate in the region is Mediterranean, with continental influences, and is further moderated by Mt. Vermion which protects the vineyards from cold north winds as well as providing a rain-shadow effect.

Table 1 below shows the varying soil types in the Naoussa PDO while Table 2 shows the unique microclimates created by the interaction of the soils and climate zones.

Designation	Soil Type	Percent
K1	Loamy soils (sandy clay loam, loam) without Calcium Carbonate	23
K2	Loamy soils (sandy clay loam, loam) with Calcium Carbonate > 4%	15
K3	Clay soils (sandy clay, sandy loam, loam) without Calcium Carbonate	25
K4	Clay soils (sandy clay, sandy loam, loam) with Calcium Carbonate > 4%	30
K5	Acidic soils (pH < 6)	7

Table 1. Soil types in Naoussa PDO (Source: Koundouras)

Zone	Altitude (feet)	Characteristics
1	400	Deep soils Earlier harvest Grapes suitable for light reds
2	500	ditto
3	700	Central zone ranging between 600 and 800 feet Mostly clay soils with high lime percentage Some of the best crus Trademark tannic wines with aging potential
4	800	ditto
5	900	Late-ripening
6	1100	ditto

Table 2. Naoussa PDO microclimates (Source: Koundouras)

According to Koundouras, the wines with the best aging potential are associated with calcareous clay soils as these soils provide good drainage, root aeration, and medium vine vigor.

Amynteo
The Amynteo PDO covers 650 ha (250 of which is devoted to non-Xinomavro varieties) at altitudes ranging between 550 (1800 feet) and 750 m (2500 feet) in the town and municipality of Amynteo in the Florina peripheral unit of Macedonia. Amynteo is the coldest grape-growing region in Greece with cold winters and relatively cool summers and autumns. There are four lakes in the region which serve to modify the climate but the largest impact is derived from the presence of the interconnected lakes Vergitis and Petres, of which the former is the largest. The area experiences northern winds from surrounding mountain ranges.

The area is cooler and drier than Naoussa and most of the new vineyards are irrigated. The vineyards are, for the most part, modern and cordon-trained but there are clusters of old vineyards including some own-rooted, pre-phylloxera, head-trained vines.

The main grape growing regions and soil types are illustrated in the charts below. According to Koundouras, the Type I soils are "ideal for aromatic and elegant Xinomavro wines" while the type II soils produce "structured and balanced" wines.

Goumenissa
The Goumenissa PDO covers 330 ha on the western slopes of Mt. Paiko, just 50 km northwest of Thessaloniki. The gentle, southwest-facing slopes are somewhat protected from the cold north winds by the Paiko range while the lower altitude allows the moderating effect of the Aegean Sea to influence the crop.

In this region Xinomavro is blended with up to 20% Negoska, a distant relative and a variety that is unique to Macedonia. The two varieties have to be co-vinified and aged a minimum of 1 year in oak. According to BBR, the high sugar content, and riper berry fruit, of the Negoska, help to balance out the character of the relatively austere Xinomavro. The wines of this region are seen as broader, and less firmly structured than other wines of Macedonia.

Rapsani
The vineyards proper are located on the southern slopes of Mount Olympus and its "mainland mediterranean" climate is modified by the surrounding mountains and forests as well as by the Thermaic Gulf of the Aegean Sea. One of the heralded aspects of the environment is the 10 - 15 ℃ temperature variation between day and night, a condition which, it is held, "enhances phenolic ripeness and aromatic concentration of the grapes." The physical and legal characteristics of the zone are elaborated in the chart below.

The Wines
I evidenced a variety of Xinomavro wine styles during my tour of Northern Greece to include:

• Still and sparkling Blanc de Noirs
• Rosés
• Red fruit-forward
• Red structured
• Mono-varietal (Naoussa and Amyndeon)
• Blended (Rapsani and Goumenissa)
• Sweet

The aroma/taste profile of a traditional Xinomavro red wine is indicated in the table below.

Aromas	Taste
Strawberries, cherries, plums	Structured, ageworthy
Vegetal (dried tomatoes, olives)	Firm tannins, medium-high intensity
Floral (roses) in light soils, robust in clay	Medium-high alcohol (has risen 1.1% over last 20 years
Develops savory, aromatic complexity (truffles

Table 3. Xinomavro aroma/taste profile (Source: Wine Commanders)

Compared to Naoussa, Xinomavros from Amyndeon have brighter fruit character, a leaner palate, and greater florality.

There is an ongoing concerted attempt to present Xinomavro as the face of North Greece red wines and it took a little while for me to get it. At 2014 DWCC, Ted Lelekas and Luiz Alberto presented a seminar on the wines of North Greece and I left the session not feeling the urge to add the wines to my collection. And it was nothing that the guys did. The wine just did not appeal to me. The tomato vegetal character and hint of a mid-palate were somewhat off-putting.

That feeling persisted on this tour until I tasted the 2005 Ramnista at Kir-Yianni and the 2008 Ramnista and the 2007 Boutari 1879 Legacy at the Wine Commanders Master Class at the Plovdiv DWCC. The 2008 Ramnista exhibited ripe fruit, truffles and a kerosene character. Red fruit on the palate with a mid-palate that raised its hand. According to the Wine Commanders, Kir-Yianni uses clones that allow greater ripening of fruit (less vegetal character). According to the Wine Commanders, the year 2007 was a "ripe vintage year" and the the 1879 Legacy reflected this with rich, ripe cherry fruit along with tar, licorice, earth, truffles and spice. And a mid-palate.

What this told me is that Xinomavro, like Barolo and Pinot Noir, for example, shows best after it has had an opportunity to evolve in the bottle. The problem with that is that the trend today is towards wines that are more approachable.


©Wine -- Mise en abyme